A fire station in Mollerussa, Lleida, was forced to close for several hours yesterday morning after running out of specialist fire-fighting suits, according to sources close to the situation.
Of the four professionals on duty, two were moved to the Tàrrega station. The other two had to travel to Girona to collect new individual professional protection equipment (PPE).
This operation meant the Mollerussa station had to close its doors. Some professionals said the closure lasted five hours, while officials from the Lleida Emergency region stated it was two and a half hours. This situation caused significant discontent among firefighters, who called it "inadmissible".
Equipment Shortages Force Closure
The firefighters had used their equipment to put out a fire at a bar in Lleida's historic centre on Sunday morning. They had not received replacement gear, leaving them without suitable work clothes for any new incidents.
Joan Josep Bellostas, head of the Lleida Emergency region, explained that contaminated PPE is usually removed and replaced. He admitted this did not happen in this instance. Bellostas attributed the issue to adjustments in the supply contract, which is nearing its end. He added that 9,000 new items of PPE are expected before the end of the year.
Bellostas also clarified that firefighters work as part of a network. This means the Pla and Garrigues areas, normally covered by the Mollerussa station, would have been served by firefighters from Lleida or Tàrrega if any incidents had occurred during the closure.
